"It's been at least 13 years since Penrith reached 26.6 degrees, Homebush 25.0 and Canterbury 24.6 in July. This is nine above average for Penrith," he said.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dmitriy Danchuk said today's "amazingly warm" conditions were the combination of a broad low pressure trough heading through from the west and a cold front moving across western parts of NSW.

"Because it's been a pretty steady and deep north-westerly stream [ahead of the trough] it's brought a warmer and drier air mass to Sydney," Mr Danchuk said.

Blue Mountains residents also enjoyed an unseasonably warm morning at 10 degrees just before 7am. A week ago the temperature did not climb above 8 degrees all day.

Mr Danchuk said the cold front would hit Sydney tonight, returning the city to its regular July pattern by tomorrow.

"There's a chance of a late shower and [temperatures] will reach 17 degrees," he said.

And if you are wondering about a dip in the ocean, Sydney's water temperature is around 17.5 degrees.

Magnetic InkThis ink, developed by New Jersey company LDP LLC, writes and dries normally but contains particles of iron, making it responsive to magnets and able to conduct electricity. The ink could be used to print circuits on paper.

Ceramic ClothZircar Zirconia, Inc., a New York manufacturer of thermal products, created this cloth knit from ceramic fibers, which will insulate against extreme temperatures.

Flavor-changing AdditivesFlavor-changing additives, developed by New Jersey–based Salvona Technologies, contain nanospheres encapsulated in larger microspheres. When the microspheres burst, one flavor is released. The rupture of the nanospheres, some time later, releases another flavor, creating a taste experience that changes over time.

Electronic PaperElectronic paper, a thin, flexible display technology that reveals digital images in full color, was invented by Israeli company Magink. Inventables imagines that the material could be used to create a portable “origami DVD player,” which would unfold to reveal a big screen.

Conductive VelcroThis Velcro, manufactured by Aplix in North Carolina, conducts electricity, completing a circuit when the hook side comes into contact with the loop side. It could be used to create a soft switch in clothes, backpacks and other consumer products.

Translucent Concrete TilesA Hungarian architect invented these translucent concrete tiles that contain optical fibers, allowing light to pass through. They are now sold through his company Litracon Bt.

Colour Sensitive Glass TilesGlass tiles that change colour in response to temperature were created by California-based Moving Color. They have already used the tiles to create a shower with walls that change colour as the water hits them.

Anti-Graffiti FilmThis antigraffiti film, a clear adhesive with a Teflon surface, is manufactured by Integument Technologies, in New York. Paint and ink applied to the film won’t stick and can be easily wiped off.

Stone paper“Stone” paper, sold by Design & Source Productions, is made of calcium carbonate, making it more eco-friendly than wood-based paper.

Water Expanding PlasticThis plastic expands in water, maintaining its proportions. The material, manufactured by Texas-based Industrial Polymers, can be used to produce a cast for enlarging sculptures or fossils.

Anti-Fog FilmThis durable antifog coating is the creation of Film Specialties in New Jersey. The coating’s hydrophilic properties means that water slides off the surface rather than turning to fog.

Water-soluble GlassThis water-soluble glass is blown and can break like regular glass but dissolves in water.

Magnetic PaintThis paint contains iron powder, making it magnetic. Several companies, including Kling Magnetics, Inc., and Krylon, make magnetic paint.

Compostable Stretch FabricThis all-natural, stretchy fabric is made by the Swiss company Rohner Textil AG and contains wool and ramie. Unlike most stretch fabrics, which are made of synthetic materials like lycra, it can be fully composted.

Edible GlitterDeveloped by Watson Inc. in Connecticut, this edible glitter can be added to food products.

Paper HoneycombThis paper honeycomb is lightweight but strong. Developed by the Dutch company Honicel, it can be used in furniture and as packing material.

The Lord is revealing Himself in ever more mysterious ways — this time showing up in a bag of crunchy cheese puffs.

A couple from Houston, in the southern US state of Texas, made their now famous discovery while driving in their car one night a few weeks ago.

Sara Bell and husband Dan were chomping through a packet of Cheetos, which they had picked up at a local petrol station on their way home, when Mrs Bell dug up an irregular-shaped Cheeto that she fancied resembled a person in a robe praying.

"Jesus appeared!" she was quoted by local newspaper Preston Hollow People as saying.

They nicknamed it "Cheesus".

The orange figurine is described as five centimetres tall and has a missing right arm.

"I had eaten most of the ones in my hand and one was left lying there, and I said 'Oh my gosh! Look at this! It really looks like a person in a robe praying,'" Mrs Bell, a retired teacher, told local TV news station KTVT-TV.

Her husband looked over and said: "Wow! It does look like a praying Jesus".

The couple is keeping the cornmeal snack wrapped in tissue inside a box.

"What I've been worried about is if I have it around my house, it'll get eaten, " Mrs Bell reportedly said.

She is still considering whether to put "Cheesus" up for auction on e-Bay.

It is not the first time a likeness to Jesus has shown up in a packet of Cheetos. Last year CNN reported on a similar find in the Midwestern state of Missouri.

An International fraud in which a gang allegedly made thousands of dollars downloading its own songs from online music stores with stolen credit cards has been cracked by London police and the FBI.

The gang is alleged to have made several songs which they gave to an online US company, which uploaded them to be sold on iTunes and Amazon.

Over five months they bought the songs thousands of times, spending about $US750,000 on 1500 stolen US and British credit cards, according to the Met.

The criminal network also allegedly reaped the royalties from the tracks, pulling in an estimated $US300,000, paid by the two sites, which were unaware of the fraud. Seven men and three women are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.

Scotland Yard said the arrests were the result of a parallel investigation with the FBI that began in February.

"It was established that between September 2008 and January 2009 a British criminal network provided music via an online US company who uploaded the tracks to Apple iTunes and Amazon.com for sale," it said. "This is a significant case for the e-crime unit, which was set up 12 months ago.

"The unit has been set up to provide a point of expertise and a national and international response to online crime. The nature of online crime means the unit are actively developing cross-border partnerships both with other international crime agencies and businesses."

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Wilson, of the e-crime unit, said: "This has been a complex investigation to establish what we believe to be an international conspiracy to defraud Apple and Amazon. It shows the success that can be achieved through our close working relationship with the FBI.

"We are now making it more risky for criminals who seek to exploit the internet and commit e-crime across national borders. We are working hard through partnership with industry and law enforcement to combat e-crime and are committed to pursuing those responsible."

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Have a look at Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, the forthcoming game from artist Michel Gagne and FuelCell's Joe Olson.

Based on the world Gagne created for the Insanely Twisted Shadow Puppets animations shown on Nickelodeon in 2005, new posts at the game's blog seem to all but ensure an eventual Xbox Live Arcade release alongside the previously planned PC version.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Sydney and Australia's south-east coast has been put on alert following a powerful undersea earthquake.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says Tasmania, Victoria and NSW could be hit by dangerous waves on Wednesday evening following the quake off the southwest coast of New Zealand's South Island at 7.22pm (AEST).

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre is warning of dangerous waves from Gabo Island north to Seal Rocks, including Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay.

Although evacuations are not required, the centre warns people to move away from the immediate water's edge and not go to the beaches to look at the waves.

Lord Howe Island is facing a more serious threat of major land inundation and residents are urged to go to higher ground or at least one kilometre inland.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said a tsunami has been observed at Port Kembla at 10:06pm.

Earlier this evening, a Bureau of Meteorology said it remained a possibility waves could develop and hit Australia's coast.

"It's quite rare that this would happen. At the moment no waves have been recorded but an alert has been issued for NSW and large parts of the east coast,'' she told AAP.

"We're continuing to monitor and update the situation.''

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said any waves would strike Lord Howe Island between 9.30pm Wednesday and midnight.

In Sydney a performance of Princess Cabaret at the Bondi Pavilion was cancelled after the tsunami warning and all theatregoers ejected from the beachfront venue.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the earthquake was about 160km west of the city of Invercargill, on South Island, at a depth of 33 kilometres, US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

Police in the town of Tuatapere on South Island say they have reports of minor cracks in buildings and stock falling from supermarket shelves, but there'd been no reports of serious damage or injuries so far.

The quake was felt widely across the South Island.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre also issued a warning, saying: "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicentre within minutes to hours''.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Throughout the Universe, one man has waged war against both hunger and sleepiness. One man has taken a stand for a healthy, wide-awake, breakfast cereal. Cap'n Buzz! And there is only one cereal worthy of being eaten by the Cap'n: Spazztroids! Why? Because Spazztroids is the only cereal loaded with vitamins, a hyper-sweetener, and loads and loads of caffeine! That's right - CAFFEINE! One bowl of Spazztroids is one healthy bowl of cereal and one-and-a-half strong cups of coffee all rolled into one!

Each serving of Cap'n Buzz's Spazztroids will pump your body with vitamins and nutrients (in yummy, crunchy, space shapes) but you'll also get a 180mg dose of caffeine. Spazztroids is the tasty love child of all we hold dear - sweet foods, snazzy names, and caffeine (the divine nectar of the gods). But the greatest gift of Spazztroids is what is left in your bowl when you have eaten every last bit: caffeinated milk! Just like mamma used to make. So get some of Cap'n Buzz's Spazztroids - the breakfast cereal full of vitamins, nutrients, caffeine, and everything else you need to get up in the morning.

Each serving has 180mg of caffeine and is sweetened with Neotame (an artificial sweetener 13,000 times as sweet as sugar)!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Stephen Conroy's mandatory internet filtering plans have earned him the title of Internet Villain of the Year at the 11th annual Internet Industry Awards.

The Internet Villain category recognises individuals or organisations that have upset the Internet industry and hampered its development - those whom the industry loves to hate.

As Australia's communications minister, and supporter of one of the world's most ambitious internet censorship plans, Senator Conroy beat out tough competition from the likes of the European Parliament and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The nominations for the UK Internet Industry Awards' Internet Villain of the Year 2009 included;

European Parliament - "For supporting an amendment to the Telecom Package on cookies which could yet bring the internet to a standstill"

The proposal would force websites to use a pop-up or other intrusive method to notify visitors to a website every time they received a cookie, even though the technology to control such behaviour is already built into many web browsers.

President Nicolas Sarkozy - "For his continued commitment to the HADOPI law, which advocates a system of graduated response, despite repeated arguments suggesting the law is disproportionate from a number of important groups including the European Parliament"

Sarkozy proposes to ban those who repeatedly download pirated content from all French ISPs for 12 months.

Baroness Vadera - "For excluding a number of ISPs and Rights Holders in agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding that was exclusive and ineffective in progressing relations between the two industries"

UK Business Minister, Barnoness Shriti Vadera, brokered a deal between the music business and six of the UK's biggest ISPs to offer legal broadband subscription services that permit file sharing.

Stephen Conroy and the Australian Government - "For continuing to promote network-level blocking despite significant national and international opposition"

Conroy proposes a secret blacklist blocking "unwanted content", despite evidence that it will hamper internet speeds, be easily circumvented and may spread beyond the initial target of child pornography to be used as a bargaining chip to win the favour of influential conservative politicians - who are already calling for it to be expanded.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

This promotional box arrived in the office this week, full of little *new vegemite and cracker sample packs. I ate on average 3 a day :). The new Vegemite flavour is nice, more cheesy, not a radical departure though, and why should it be.. Vegemite is great. Mmm.. might go and have some now..

I took this last weekend at the West Ryde train station, I really like the patterns the shadows make on the steps. Reminds me of patterns from an old computer game, but hey, maybe that's just me.

The suburb of Eastwood is only 2 train stops away to the north, and is good for all ye asian groceries. It wasn't actually as cold as this photo looks.

My feet, chilling in Eastwood.

These billboards are up in all the train stations, just thought it was a mildly humourous image to share.

The lovely girl modelling the latest in service station winter atire.

Central station rush hour commute.

Found this on the pavement outside the local Woolworths supermarket.. It's one of those security tags off products. Is this an RFID? Or an ancestor of? Aaah... I dunno